Suns at Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki could be playing in his final home game when the Dallas Mavericks entertain the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. Nowitzki, who turns 41 in June, hasn't declared that he will retire but the Mavericks are making a big deal out of the contest just in case.
Nowitzki has spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas and is forever famous for the leading the team to the 2011 NBA title when he was named NBA Finals MVP. "It's been an experience that has been second to none, really on every level," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters of coaching Nowitzki for the past 11 seasons. "That's from the tone that he sets every day to how he approaches the game and how he enables his teammates to play better than they would otherwise because of how he affects the game." The Suns have failed to reach the 20-win mark just once in franchise history and need to win their season finale on Tuesday to get there this season. Phoenix was just 16-66 in its first season as a franchise in 1968-69 and is just slightly better in season No. 51.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Phoenix), FS Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE SUNS (19-62): Phoenix will miss the playoffs for the ninth consecutive season and the franchise was unable to make progress this season despite adding No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton to play with star shooting guard Devin Booker. Both players were sidelined with ankle injuries on Sunday as the Houston Rockets drained an NBA record 27 3-pointers in a 149-113 home rout of the Suns. Veteran sharpshooter Jamal Crawford is taking advantage of Booker's absence by averaging 27.5 points over the past two games.
ABOUT THE MAVERICKS (32-48): Dallas isn't part of the postseason for the third straight campaign and needs to at least split its final two games to avoid a second consecutive 50-loss season. The Mavericks helped that cause on Sunday when they posted a 129-127 overtime road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Nowitzki only played 12 minutes against the Grizzlies and has scored in double digits just once over the past five contests.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Mavericks halted a seven-game losing streak against the Suns by recording a 104-94 home victory on Jan. 9.
2. Phoenix has won 24 or fewer games in each of the last four seasons.
3. Dallas rookie SF Luka Doncic (thigh) has missed three of the past four games but hopes to return on Tuesday.